Donald Trump hits Australian exports to US with new higher trade tariff over claims of ‘forced labour’

Donald Trump has imposed a new 12.5% tariff on Australian exports to the US. Photograph: Darren England/AAP View image in fullscreen Donald Trump has imposed a new 12.5% tariff on Australian exports to the US. Photograph: Darren England/AAP Donald Trump hits Australian exports to US with new higher trade tariff over claims of ‘forced labour’ Australia’s trade minister, Don Farrell, says tariff regime is unjustified and inconsistent with free trade agreement with US Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Donald Trump has hit Australian exports with new trade tariffs, claiming the country is not doing enough to combat forced labour, but the Albanese government has demanded he remove them immediately. The United States announced on Friday morning (AEST) that many Australian exports now attract a new 12.5% tariff as part of a broader regime affecting dozens of countries. In a statement, the US trade department said Australia was on a list of 54 economies it deemed as having “failed to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor”. Other countries facing a 12.5% tariff include Brazil, China, Egypt, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Russia and Singapore. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email Other economies on a separate list – including the UK, India, Indonesia, Canada and Mexico – will be subject to a lower 10% tariff after the US claimed they had only failed to “enforce” forced labour prohibitions. The American trade action document claims “the United States is the only country in the world to adopt, and effectively enforce, a ban on imports made with forced labor”. “President Trump is asking all trading partners to join the United States in eliminating forced labor from global supply chains.” In total the tariffs apply “to the top 60 U.S. trade partners covering 99.4% of U.S. imports”, according to a trade department statement. The Australian trade minister, Don Farrell, immediately pushed back on the tariffs and called for the US to change course. “These tariffs are unjustified, inconsistent with our free-trade agreement and should be removed,” Farrell said. “Australia’s measures to combat forced labour and modern slavery are among the strongest in the world and we are recognised globally, including in the US, for our leadership.” The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles , told ABC radio the US actions “make no sense”. “Forced labour is definitely something which needs to be combated around the world, so we support that objective,” he said. “But we have laws, which are amongst the strongest in the world, and we’ve been making that point to the Trump administration. skip past newsletter promotion after newsletter promotion Trump to impose fresh wave of tariffs on more than 80 countries Read more “We want to see freer trade and more trade flows between Australia and the United States. Both of our countries be